Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

School Programs

"The way to be great now, lies thru books and not thru battles"

Discover Harriet Beecher Stowe …

…International celebrity and icon of American literature, culture and social activism. Her best-selling anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin changed America and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Help your students connect history to their lives and to today’s headlines. Stowe Center museum educators make history lively in Stowe’s home - now a 21st-century museum and program center.

Stowe Center educational programs incorporate Common Core Standards and connect to Connecticut’s Social Studies Framework to deliver field trip programs, outreach programs for students and professional development opportunities for teachers.Read on to learn more plus tips for planning your visit OR view ourSchool Program Brochure for details and descriptions. For questions or to customize a program for your class, email SchoolPrograms@StoweCenter.org or call 860.522.9258 ext. 308. Plus see free resources for students and teachers including downloadable lesson plans.

Choose among several options when planning a field trip to the Stowe Center…

A. Guided Stowe House tour, B. Guided tour of both the Stowe house and neighboring Mark Twain HouseC. Guided Stowe House tour plus an on-site interactive program, or D. Guided tour of both the Stowe House and neighboring Mark Twain House plus an on-site interactive program

…Or get Stowe To Go and let our museum educators bring a program to your classroom or a multi-week after-school program!

A. TOUR THE STOWE HOUSE

More than 150 years ago, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s landmark novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin galvanized the Abolitionist movement and helped start the Civil War. School groups can tour the Hartford home where Stowe lived for 23 years, giving students a fun and insightful look into American history, literature and social change. Students: $5 Chaperones: $6 Teachers: Free

Guided tour of the Stowe House (grades 3 to 12)A 45-minute guided tour of the Stowe House provides an intimate glimpse into the life and impact of the most famous American woman of the 19th century, the author whose words changed the world with the ground-breaking anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Tours are led by museum educators and customized for your class’s grade level.

Calling On The Stowes (grades K to 2)An interactive 45-minute hands-on tour with a kid’s-eye view of the Stowe family home! Props, activities and storytelling are used to introduce students to Stowe’s story and how she came to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The Stowe Visitor Center offers special exhibitions, an orientation film and museum store at no extra charge!

More than 140 years ago Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain were next door neighbors in Hartford’s Nook Farm. Twain’s masterpiece Adventures of Huckleberry Finn changed how Americans write and think about race. Book a combination tour! With each house tour lasting approximately 45 minutes, school groups can easily visit both the Stowe and Twain houses. Students: $10; Chaperones: $12; Teachers: Free

C. COMBINE YOUR TOUR WITH AN ENGAGING ON-SITE INTERACTIVE PROGRAM“I love how you emphasize building a community around social justice issues.”

You can add any of the following 45-minute programs to your tour to make greater connections to your Social Studies or English curriculum! Students: $7; Chaperones: $9; Teachers: Free

Salons by StoweGrades 9–12Bring your class to a wide-ranging 21st-century parlor conversation on race, class, and gender in contemporary life facilitated by a museum educator. Liberty and Justice for AllGrades 8–12Has the promise of America been fulfilled since the Civil War? Your class will learn about the connections between Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the Civil War and engage in a writing activity.Her Words Changed the WorldGrades 6–12Using the activism of the 19th century’s most famous American woman as a model, your class will discuss Hartford history, the Civil War, and the roles of women and African Americans and consider strategies for positive change today.

Stowe and the Civil WarGrades 3–7Discover why President Lincoln is said to have called Stowe “the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.” Learn about the national impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and how the war affected the Stowe family’s life. Your class will do a writing activity based on Stowe’s letters.

Inspiration to ActionGrades K–5Learn Stowe’s story, how she came to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the power each of us has to make a difference. Stowe’s life and impact as a writer, artist and activist will inspire your class to be engaged citizens. (Also available as a multi-week after school program.)

Two National Historic Landmarks join forces to offer two unforgettable school programs! Each of the following packages contains a tour of both authors’ homes PLUS added education programming. Students: $14; Chaperones: $18; Teachers: Free

Stowe & Twain – Effecting Social ChangeGrades 7-12Following their tour of the Twain and Stowe Houses, students will gain a better understanding of the importance of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn during this 45 minute presentation. Our educators will place the content of these masterpieces in the context of race relations from slavery to the Civil Rights movement.Nook Farm NeighborsGrades 3-5Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain changed literature and America’s view of itself. Tour both the Stowe and Twain homes to explore the activities of each 19th-century household. Includes a narrative writing exercise.

Grades 3 to 12If you can’t come to us, we can come to you! Our engaging classroom programs are educational and affordable. In addition to the Field Trip Programs, we can customize a program to fit your needs on a number of topics that address the Common Core Standards. Any of our on-site programs can easily be transported to your school. Please contact us to discuss a program that is just right for your classroom. CALL (860) 522-9258 ext 308 or email schoolprograms@stowecenter.org.Additional Student Opportunities at Stowe…

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Student Prize for Writing to Advance Social JusticeDo you know a high school or college student who is writing to change the world? Visit Stowe Student Prize . Submission deadline: January 10, 2014. Offered every other year.

24-Hour Reading of Uncle Tom’s CabinMarch 20, 2014 Join us! Come to listen or volunteer to read aloud from Stowe’s most famous work.

THE UNCOMMON FIELD TRIP MEETS THE COMMON CORE!Stowe’s school programs use the author’s stories to provoke discussion and inspire with dialog-based tours and engaging educational activities. Museum educators customize tours and programs to grade level. Students will learn critical thinking and analysis, use primary sources, engage in public speaking and understand the connection between history and today. Our educational programs incorporate the Common Core Standards and connect to Connecticut’s social studies framework to deliver Field Trip Programs and Outreach Programs for students and Professional Development opportunities for teachers. Discover the rich cultural, literary, and historical legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe whose relevance is evident in current world events.

FREE VISIT PROGRAM FOR PRIORITY SCHOOL DISTRICTSStudents who attend public schools in Connecticut priority districts are eligible to visit the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (or the Mark Twain House & Museum) for free! Teachers can arrange for their students to tour either or both homes and experience exhibitions, films and added school programs. A partial subsidy for bus transportation is available upon request. Contact the Stowe Center at (860) 522-9258, ext. 308 for details.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: For educators teaching grades 3-12 Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) at a Harriet Beecher Stowe Center program just for educatorsAlthough Stowe had clearly had not heard of the Common Core Standards, we have! Harriet Beecher Stowe was not only a literary giant, she was witness to history with a front row seat. Her life and works offer a rich platform for teaching language arts, literature, and literacy in history and social studies. Critical textual analysis has never been more engaging. We offer workshops on site or can bring one to your school. Please call us to discuss a workshop for your school.

To book a Stowe professional development program, call (860) 522-9258 ext 308 or email schoolprograms@stowecenter.org.

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO HARTFORD'S NOOK FARM“Seeing the house and understanding the depth of life-changing history at its heart was an enormous eye-opener for my students.”

Reservation inquiries are most easily made online at: SchoolPrograms@StoweCenter.org

Please make arrangements at least two weeks in advance. To facilitate your trip, please have the following information:• As tours are all booked on a first-come, first-served basis, have first and second choice dates• Let us know if you are interested in adding an on-site program and we can discuss the best options for your group• Number of students, teachers and chaperones attending• Grade level and interests of your students• Anticipated time of arrival and required time of departure (if applicable)• Any special needs your group may have.

Tips for planning your visit:• On-site lunch facilities are available. There is a $1 per student fee for on-site dining.

• Allow time to explore exhibits in the Stowe Visitor Center and shop in our Museum Stores, filled with books and treasures for children and adults.